Clippers’ season-ticket prices are closing in on those of the Lakers. Over at Forbes.com, Jesse Lawrence writes a fascinating piece about the logic behind the Clippers’ and Lakers’ ticket pricing. Click here to read the whole piece. Here is an excerpt from Forbes’ website:

Amidst all of this decline, the price for Lakers tickets are also down 27% compared to last year. Last year, which held the promise of an LA big three—Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and Kobe—fizzled amidst bad chemistry, and is now a distant memory. This year, Howard is a Rocket and Rockets tickets are up 60% compared to last year. That is the biggest annual increase of any team, and even 7% above the World Champion Heat. It’s also an example of the impact that stars can have on ticket demand in the NBA. Without Howard, and with Kobe on the shelf, the Lakers decline in price is second only to Nuggets tickets, which are down 37%. The Nuggets are one of the worst teams in the league and to make matters worse, they just lost JaVale McGee indefinitely with a stress fracture. Even when he gets back, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to salvage this season. As for the Lakers, Kobe’s return offers some hope for this year, but in his 17th year in the league, he’s not a long-term answer. As hard as it is for Lakers fans to imagine, that may mean that their days as king of The Staples Center will be coming to an end.